And So It Begins...

The Swedish summer. A fleeting season of sun, warmth and the continuous light of day. Let's also not forget that summer is the long and excruciating break for all hockey supporters. A yearly ritual that is as welcomed as it is loathed.

The 2010/11 season for Modo Hockey was a rollercoaster ride. The ups and downs just kept coming from the start of the season right until the final game of the Elitserien qualifying series (Kvalserien). It seemed at times we were untouchable and at others we couldn't produce a point to save ourselves. Eventually the feelings of invulnerability, the belief that as Modo Hockey it was our right to play in Elitserien, vanished and only the despair of a city on the brink of what seemed to be the end of the world remained.

On the final night of the 2010/11 season, Modo Hockey took to the ice in front of their home fans. What happened after that puck dropped for the first period will be remembered by many for quite a few years. The stadium was rocking as 7500 supporters urged their team to victory and in the end, it worked as Modo Hockey survived Kvalserien to save their existence in Elitserien and a gallant but outplayed Södertälje were left to pick up the pieces of an uncertain future. What a night, one of the most memorable by far and yet, I hope I never witness another again.

So here we are, The Modo Army, awaiting season 2011/12. The new faces in the locker room (of which will be covered in a later article once the team building is complete), new coaches on the bench and two very famous faces, born and bred in our little town, steering the ship to what we all hope will be a generation of success from the team we love.

Summer, it's a blessing and a curse. Whilst we can de-stress after a long and sometimes arduous season, the sense of urgency to start again is always on the mind. In 11 days Modo Hockey will take to the rink again in the annual Ice Premiere. It's a day of fun and relaxation as we watch the old and new players compete in skills competitions, signing autographs for children young and old alike and then a friendly match of hockey mixed with bandy against the Swedish National Bandy Team.

I urge all supporters of our beloved Modo Hockey to attend this day. It's completely free of charge, it's great entertainment and a good way to introduce your children (if not already die hard supporters) to Modo Hockey and the sport of hockey in general.

And to any of you thinking of not attending, I put it to you this way. It may be the most relaxed day in the arena for another 12 months so take advantage of it while it's here, for after this the real hockey begins.

Thank you for reading this and look out for many more article in the coming weeks.

The Modo Army